Character doll



April 1938 BI. PEEBLES- 2,113,532v

CHARACTER DOLL Filed Seiot. 21, 1936 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor April 5, 1938. R B PEEBLES 2,113,532

CHARACTER DOLL Filed Sept; 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet? I A; I I Inventor Eufizfifeebks,

Atiorngg I Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARACTER DOLL Ruth B. Peebles, Williamsburg, Va.

Application September 21, 1936, Serial No. 101,846

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a unique article of trade in the nature of what is believed to be an innovation forming what may be conveniently and briefly identified as a character doll, and the principal purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and economical structure possessing both ornamental and utilitarian merit, appreciably different from similar dolls and toys.

The essential newness exemplary of the doll as a unit has to do with the adoption and use of pecans, or similar nuts in the shell, or any other material, such as wood, corn cobs, stuffed material used as an imitation of a pecan, or similar nut or nuts, wherein said features form odd but adequate representations of the head, hands and feet of this ingenious doll.

One feature and advantage is predicated upon the adoption and use of a pecan to represent the head of the doll, this having a bored hole properly located to permit it to be centrally attached by a thread or the like to the padded body in such a way that one end projects to define the facial features and the other end projects to define the back of the head in order to accommodate a slipover bonnet or equivalent unique head covering.

Of outstanding importance, however, is the adoption and use of knitted tubular members which may be conveniently called socks, these being used to provide dangling arms, and legs, and having their terminals so made as to provide pockets for reception of half-portions of the pecans whereby to permit the pecans to be stitched in place to perform an unusual capacity as hands and feet.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention showing how the skeleton may be dressed to present a predetermined character.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the skeleton, which may be dressed in various ways to represent endless types of characters, genuine, humorous, and otherwise.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the skeleton, bringing out the profile configuration and relationship of features.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections on the lines 4- and 5-5 respectively, of Fig. 3.

Inasmuch as the apparel or dress of the figure will vary in untold manners and ways, it is obvious that the dress or costume constitutes an insignificant part of the discovery or invention. In

other words, it is thought that the chief novelty resides in the adoption and special adaptation of the figure constituting the skeleton as denoted by the numeral 6 in'Figs. 2 and 3. Fundamentally, this comprises what may be called a body 5 l of appropriate shape and dimensions. 'The body comprises a fabric sack and enclosure 8 and an appropriate light-weight filler 9.

Stitched or otherwise fastened intermediate its ends to the lower end or bottom of the body 10 as indicated at I0 in Fig. 2, is the feature of the assembly forming the dangling legs. This comprises knitted material of appropriate flexible properties or texture. A-single length of mate- I rial is used and in effect, represents or'looksli-ke a knitted cotton stocking. This material is folded upon itself between its ends as indicated at I l and the free longitudinal edges are-brought'together and stitched to form tubular portions'which when allowed to hang down constitute danglinglegsif. 2h The opposite free ends of the legs are fashioned to provide substantially conical openfront pockets or receptacles l3. The pecans [4 are half fitted into the pockets. As shown, for example, in Fig. 5, the pecan is provided with a hole l5 and a thread or cord I6 is passed therethrough and properly knotted as at I! to hold the nut in the pocket and to permit said features to form the imitation odd-looking feet.

A similar procedure is followed in forming the arms. That is to say, tubular knitted or netted material is used, the length of material being denoted by the numeral l8. This is draped over the top of the body and the ends hang down over what may be called the shoulders. The hanging or dangling members I9 form the arms and these are spread open as indicated at 20 to form the receptacles into which the pecans or similar shells 2| are fitted and stitched in place in the same manner as shown in Fig. 5. In practice the diameter of the tube forming the knitted unit I8 is somewhat less than the central diameter of the nut and when the nut is forced into it, it spreads to form a snug fitting jacket partly around the nut. In other words it represents a sort of a cuff. Consequently the resilient properties of the knitted material itself provide an ideal method of assembling the features.

The somewhat larger pecan forming the head 22 is secured in place in a similar fashion to that already described. Referring to Fig. 4, the head is formed intermediate its ends with a transverse bore or passage 23, and the thread is to pass thereto as indicated at 24, and the thread 24 is fastened to the stretch of knitted material I 8 forming the dangling arms.

In practice, the skeleton is appropriately dressed as for example shown in Fig. 1. Here a suitable garment including a waist 25, a skirt 26, and a hood or bonnet 21 is utilized. The bonnet fits well over the projecting rear half portion of the head and the protruding end portion thereof is suitably decorated to provide the requisite facial features.

As before implied, the structural or mechanical novelty herein relied upon is directed not so much to the costume or apparel which gives the final character or distinctiveness to the doll, as it is to the skeleton whereby said skeleton may be employed as a basis for use in providing all sorts of doll characters. Apparently, it is ingenious to use a filled sack of appropriate material constituting the body and attaching to this the dangling legs and dangling arms, nut equipped to provide predetermined characteristics, and to employ in conjunction therewith, a nut forming the head whereby the same is stitched or otherwise tied in place. More specifically,however, novelty may reside in the provision of a body having the knitted members forming the dangling arms and dangling legs, each terminating in receptacles to accommodate the pecans or similar nuts, and there being a relatively larger pecan stitched or otherwise fastened to the top of the body to provide cumulative characteristics desired in a skeleton of this type.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary. V 7

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A skeleton for a character doll of the class described comprising a fabric envelope, filling material in said envelope giving the same a predetermined shape to function as a longitudinally elongated body, a natural pecan having a hole formed centrally and transversely therethrough,

a cord passing through said hole and attached to the upper end of said body permitting said pecan to function as an imitation head, a single length of knitted material attached intermediate its ends to the lower end of said body, said knitted material being tubular in cross-sectional form, the free ends of said material being fashioned to provide pockets, and pecans or equivalent nuts fastened in the open ends of said pockets, whereby to provide freely dangling legs.

2. A toy doll of the class described comprising a stuffed fabric body of general longitudinally elongated form, a single length of knitted material having its free end portions draped over the longitudinal sides of said body, the intermediate portion of said material embracing the normal upper end of the body, an imitation head, said head being apertured, a cordv laced through the aperture and stitched to the body and passing through the adjacent knitted material to join the parts in assembled relationship, the free ends of said'knitted material being in the form of expansible tubular pockets, members plugged and. fastened in said pockets to represent artificial hands, and leg forming. means attached to the bottom of said body.

3. A toy doll of the class described comprising a stuffed fabric body of general longitudinally elongated form, a single length of knitted material having its free end portions draped over the longitudinal sides of said body, the intermediate portion of said material embracing the normal upper end of the body, an imitation head, said head being apertured, a cord laced through the aperture and stitched to the body and passing through the adjacent knitted material to join the parts in assembled relationship, the free ends of said knitted material being in the form of expansible tubular pockets, members plugged and fastened in said pockets to represent artificial hands, leg forming means attached to the bottom of said body, said means being formed from a single length of elastic material stitched centrally to the bottom at a point intermediate its ends, the free ends of said material including terminal pockets, and pecans or equivalent nuts plugged into said last-named pockets in the manner and for the purposes described.

RUTH B. PEEBLES. 

